Talking-toy mechanism



April 24, 1928. 1,667,108

F. EVANS TALKING TOY MECHANISM Filed March 21, 1923 IN VEN TOR FREI? EVSANJ.

.A TTORNIE'K ltl Y which the'human voice may the device being Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

' UNITED STAT FRED EVANS,

ES PATENT OFFICE.r

' TALKING-TOY MECHANISM.

Application led March 21, 1923. Serial No. 626,502.

This invention relates to soundproducing f devices such as are used in connection with talking toys, .more particularly talking dolls. Specifically, and designed for use in connectionwith a doll, the position of which may be changed, this movement causing the ldoll to'emit a sound such as nia-ma. e

One of the objects of this in-vention is to produce a simple, sound producing mechanism by means of be simulated, oproportioned that it may be concealed within the body of such a doll and operable by changes in position of the body of the doll to produce sounds.y

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the det-ail description given below taken in connection with the accom'- panying drawings which form a part of this specification.

1n the accompanying drawings, wherein I` have shown a preferred form'vof embodiment ofr my invention:

Figure 1 is a View of the device in side elevation, parts being shown in cross-section. Y

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the sound controlling elements.

Figure 3 is a detail cross-sectional view showing the mounting of the reed.

Vith'reference now to the drawings in which similar reference characters refer to 4similar parts throughout theseveral views thereof, reference character 1 designates a casing serving to enclose and protect the lat 8.

working parts of the device and preferably constructed of card-board,-fibre, or other like material of that character. Positioned within the casing is a head 2 situated intermediate the ends of thefcasing and channelled along vone face as indicated Attached to the Vchannelled face of the head isa bellows 4, here shown tobe tubular in form aiid having one marginal in the channel by a spring ring 5. The 'other end of the Vbellows is closed by a disc 6, preferably madeJ of a heavy material such as lead. Attached to the disc 6 and extending through the bellows and through an aperture in the head2 is an operating rod 7. .lt-'Will be vnoted that the bellows 4 hS Silit' this device is intendedv effective and inexpensive.

of'which is disposed so ,closure member, and `at its held inv place 'lie in the-Path of vthe @nd 7.a

able creases as indicated at y8 so that it may be readily collapsedso as tofexpelthe air therefrom. n

Positioned `on the other face of the head 2 are the sound producing and regulating parts. 'lhehead 2 has drilled therethrough 'an aperturet) and positioned on the exterior face of the head kso as to enclose this aperture isa reed chamber 10, in which is mounted a reedll, extending through the walll of the reed chamberand into a sound controlling chamber 12 in which is situated an orifice 13. lThe reed 11 is so disposed i that upon expulsion of the air from the bel- `lows the air will cause the reed to vibrate and produce a sound.` It will be seen that the orifice chamber has mounted on` itsouter vface various devices by means of which the orifice 13 may be opened and closed, these closure devices being positioned so as to be operated by the'rod 7, one end-of which is bent laterally as `at 7a so as to engagethe closure members. y

vOverlying the orifice 13 is a swinging door 14: hinged Ato the edge of the orificev chamber by any s uitable means, here shown to be a strip of fabric 15 anchored at one end to the orifice chamber and at ther other to the door. At its other end the door is provided witha. hinge pin 16, upon which is mounted va swinging trip arm 17, one end as to lie in the path of the lateral portion '7a of the rod 7 Rearwardly beyond the hinge pin 16,k the trip OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO f VOICES INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. l i' armf17 liesv in contact with the faceof theA Y extreme rearward end is bent laterally as at 18.

Overlying'the door and the trip arm is a resilientmember 19 which may be' of any suitable construction, but hereshown lto be formed of a rubber band anchored at each end to themsides of the orifice chamber and so positioned thatV it will offeriresistance to the movement of both the door'and trip arm together or ofthe ltrip arm swung sepa-vrately. Beyond the hinge pin 16 the door 14 has a portion bent away rfrom the face of the orificerhamber at right angles to the main body of the door, this portion endinU in a second bent portion 20 lying parallel to thema-in body ofthe door, the portion` 2O terminating in an inwardly bentextenvsion 21. The portion 20V is so disposed as to af the rod 7,

ing` and regulating parts just describedf lie Well Within the casing and are protected thereby. At its otherlend=the-easing isipro-l vided with a head 2Q shown on dotted hiies 'in Figure 1,this Chead serving to enclose the "bellowsand Jreventits bei-n' infured'when the device is in use.

4It Will'be understood that this device is primarily;intendedforuse in talking dol-ls, inore 'especially dolls oit the so-ealled inania type, andl ordin'arilyithe device will be so `positioned within the body ot lthe doll that 'upon-changes 'in' position of the body ot tlie'doll thedevice'ivill operate so as to give oifa 'sound simulating the human voice.

The operation of theI device is as follows: ll/iththedoll at rest, let it be assumed `tha'ttthe"positioniot thebody of the doll is changed so'tliat theparts of the device takev `vthe vposition `indicated "in `Figure l.

y'It Willi-be here'seen' tliat-thebellows isl dis- 'tended'and the Weight- 6is at its outer limit ofttravel.` TlieWeight-Will now havefav tend- ';-v

Vency:totinovedownward under the influence of gravity 'compressingl the-f bellows and lexr producing a 1 second note.l

peiling' 'the air therefrom. {rs the weight moves downwardly, the' expelled air will" jpass 'through theapert-ure 9into the -reed vcliambei lOtli'roughithe reed 11 into thefori- .tice chamber lQWhere itwvillbe compressed b'y'reason'ot the -it'act that'- the door 14 will :prevent itsescape through'oriiice 18.

The (hfnvnward moveiiient o'fftlie Weight, however, carrying with-it'the rotl7, will cause a portion o'tthe rod-7El toengag'e the tripl arm `'17' andthe r`movement ottlie rod eon'tactino' the trip V'arm vwill sivingthe'ltrip larm and door lllas la-unit on the hinge l5 against 'the iesistance ofthe resilient member 19.

Thisinoveinentof 'the rod will thereby cause the orifice 13 to be opened permittingv the compressed ai-r to=escape so that the Ireed 7 continues Iits downward movemeiitV after having' ridden Yo'lfth'e trip arm 17, itlwill at *length strike the yportoii 2() o1" the door .forcingitlrefdoorto swing;l on its'hin-ge and lt-oopen the oriiice *13 asecond"tiineythus continues to Abe I open `until lthe rod f7' has Vreached the end ot `itsV outward travel with 'itl'ie'bellowscompletelycollapsed, the stop 21 preventing f the -ro-'d from `"ridii-ip; olif the` lendroit the inember *20. Tlie-secon'dinote will "heendedibyfthe complete collapse oi" the 'bellows.`

V:ivi'lldie fseenf that bythegniechanr sin thus provi 'elethl' the finovein ent of fthe.; doll to a I position which causes the Weight to collapse the The orifice noivl 'bellows under the intluenceof gravity VWill upreduceftivo'distinct'syllablessto be enunciated by the reeda this sound emission producing the cinaeina sound. The..coinplete sound emission having taken place', -the doll is nonv moved to a second `Vposition Where gravity `will'dinxvfthe Weight 6 to a position Where it will expand the bellows, air being' draivn -intothezbelloavsthrough the orilice 13 by leakage. As the Weight. 6 moves outwardly, the hook vportion 7a williinove away troni the portion 20'01" the door, :thus permitting` the' door to be drawnbaclnvardly into position `so as to cover the orifice 13. lhe'hook Ta, upon clearingnieniberQOl,y WillneXtenga-gethe outerfface otv the trip arm'l', causingl this trip arm to swing' on itslhingefl agjaiiistdihe resistance of the resilieutsmeint L19. The member ly ituvill be seenyisfiireeto suing' `inwardly so as to permit the -liooli to -ride oil'f theft'ace thereo'lfiand-when the hook is clear. it 'will move ito vits upper limit vof travel, the parts being: then in their normal position and ready 'to-"begin the cycle of operations.

Upon :movement i of tli'e doll again yto the .position rivherefthev parts: o'tl Athe ysound producing` devicezare "as shown iiny lflligure l, a second series ofnotes Willfbe given olif; it

construction 'is suclisthat it -ivill yonl-y be caused to vibrate when air passesthrough it iin/:one direction, `in,` this ease -upon expulsion :oi'i air ftron'ithe bellows d.

It will be seen thatI'h'aveprovi ded fa simv"-p'le and cheaply :manufactured device for producing` sound *in simulation ot theh'uinan voice, well adapted to attain the purposes and fobje'cts'previously set forth. While the sound controllingelements are here shown it will. be clear "that the frelation.l o-l these parts-may be readily changedso as lto ffpi'oduce either` a single :syllable orga plurality of 'syllables Furthermore` l by slight .finoditicati'ons, `it is possible f to cli-angeY theclcngth of time fduring 14which thesewsyllables Aare emitted. Thef'device has 4but -few moving I:partsfnone-O.which are easilye'subJect to breakage orrlikelyto `get outlo'f order. Furtlieis'niere, all the parts may/be manufacturedfo'f inexpensive 1material,it being understoodfthatthe-reed andio-riice chambers Yare ordinarily constructed of pasteboard or flike materiaLWhile the-trip arni andsivinging" door xtor r`the-oriiCe chamber may be made lo'fl2 slieetfinetal stampedito.for1n.and freadifly, bent i tothefshape indicated.

As manly 'eli-aiages-coufldrbe made in this construction YWithout departing from; the

scop'eidfz'the folloiving=elainis,tit is intended that: all i matter contained in f the above description ,ormshofvvn inlthe accompany-ing fdi,=,awing-sliall be linterpreted as ,illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

l suitablyv positioned towgivethe nia-ina4 ery, y

yll() lili) v cessively engaging ysaid trip armf andsaid door whereby to open said orifice during theV r`1,667,108 l if a Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to lsecure by. Letters Patent'is: y l. A device of the class described ycom'- prising, inr combination, a casing, a headV mounted therein, sound producing means mounted on said head and means to control the characteristics of the sound emitted, said. last namedV means including an oriiice chamber, a swinging door mounted on said chamber Vto overlie said orifice, a trip arm pivotally mounted on said door, a spring ydevice arranged to elastically hold thev inner end 'of said arm upon the door and the door upon the said orifice, and reciprocatingmeans sucniovement of the said means in one direction,

said orifice bein@ closed at all other times.

2. A'device ofJ the class described comprising, in combination, a casing, a head mounted therein intermediate the ends thereof, .a

bellowsatt-ached to one face of said head,

means from slidingr fromA the door during' the opening of the door, said orifice beingv closed at all other times.

3. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a. casing,`ahead mounted therein, bellows attached to: one face of said head, a reed chamber mounted onk the other facev of said head in communication with said bellows, an orifice chamber mounted in communication with said reed chamber, a swinging door resiliently held so as to close said orifice, said door having an eX- tending portion, mounted on said door and resiliently held thereagainst, and means operable by the col' lapse of said bellows successively to open and close said orifice, the said means being arranged to strike and pass said arm effecting a irst opening movement of the door, and the door having a device fory retaining its engagement with the said means during a second opening of the door. Y

4. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a casing, a head mounted intermediate the ends thereof, a .bellows mounted on one'face of said casing, a reed chamber on the other face of said casing in communication with said bellows, an orifice chamber in communication with said reed a trip arm Aswingingly chamber, a door swingingly mounted on said orifice `chamber to'overlie said orifice, a trip arm swingingly mounted von said door, re-

silientmeansto hold saiddoor-so as to close said orifice and to hold said trip arm against vthe face of saiddoor and means operable upon the colliipse of said bellows and successively contacting with said trip armv an with said door whereby tol open said orifice during such contacts.

5. A device ofl -the'class described comprising, in., combinatioma casing, a head kmounted intermediate the ends thereof, a

bellows attached to oneface of' said head, a weight attached to Vsaid bellows, a 'rod attached tosaid'weight and extending through said head, a reed chamber mounted lon the other face of said head inv communication withy said bellows, van orifice chamber in Acommunication. withsaid yreed chamber, a door swingingly mountedso asV to overlie said orifice, a trip arm pivotally mounted on said door, resilient `means to hold said door so asto close said orifice and to hold said trip larm against the face of said door, said door and said trip arm havingportions thereof adapted to be engaged by said rodwhereby to cause successive dis,- engagements of said door from said oriiice V upon the collapse of said bellows.

6. A deviceof the class described rcom- A prising, incombination, af casing, a head mountedintermediate thevends thereof,l a bellows attached to one face of said head,

a weight mounted on said bellows, a rod u terminating in a hook mounted on said weight and extending through said head,"a `reed chamber mounted on said head in communication with said bellows, an l orifice chamber mounted on said head in communication with said reed chamber, a door swing- Y ingly mounted on said oriiice chamber to voverlie said orifice andbeing provided with an extending portion, a trip arm swingingly mounted on saiddoor, `resilient means overlying one end of said trip arm and adapted to hold it in engagement rwith said door and to hold said door so as toiclose said orifice, said partsbeing so displaced and arranged that upon the collapseL of said bellows said reed will engage successively with said trip arm and the extending portion of said door whereby to cause successive disengagements of said door from said orifice.V

` 7. A sounding device having sound producing means, and means for controlling the same, said lastr mentioned means including 1 a valve for opening and closing an orifice through which the soundy is adapted to issue, and a trip arm Vpivotally mounted on and supported by said valve and resiliently held in one position vwith respect thereto and 4operable to operate said valve.

8..A device of the class described having in combination a bellows, a sound reed vcarredby one heed,ofthe/bellows, and operated thereby, a `memberlmyng' :1V-n uorl'ee through which the sound 4from said `reed muy escape, e, pvota-lly n'lounted'valve tor closing said-orifice, an arm p'votal'lfy ymounted to the otherlheadof-'fthebellowsend adapted to engage eaidreslently'held arm lto operate the Valve as the hellowse operated.

9. A devlee olthe class descrlbedlmvmg 111 eomlometron -a bellows, alsound reed car- 1 1 I l rleu ybyone head ol the hellows,- and operated thereby, e member hlyhg an orifeethrough which 'the VSoundlfromsald reed may escape,

zt ypvotally mounted Valve for-closing Said to,2md menus ed Wth-reepeet totheiother vhead of the-bellows andladzmtedto enefzwe Said reslentlyheld varmtooperatethe valve `flSthebellows is operated,` and a nseeonderm onead Velvefa-lso adapted tohedirectlyengagedvby' S31-d means to operate -the yVatlve a second time;

109A deyieeo'f the class described having in `combmationfa easing/a tuuular bellows therem` 4the :bellows i-hztvmgoue hezrcl 4"hxed wlth respect to the cas1hg,tl1e.ot'her head -io't-zthewbellowe being awve'ghty headed-'ape y ed tto; move Dhack and vforth floyigrzwty yto on said vel-ve, and resleutly held with re- `epeet thereto, and 4Ineens xed Wthlrespect comprese'. and ldietend Athe l,hell-owe in lthe' eas- Anlgone' of Amid-:heads having en ;-aperture 7therethrough, e vsound reed carried with ySeid head und adapted Ito rloe operai-ed ley :air :forced through said aperture -hyy the hellonf'e, ,a `nilember having ian orifice through ywhich thel sound from said reed is :adapted to eecupe, n pvoted yalve for sad,-or;tce,a lrodf `hxcd 'with' frespect ,rto' the opposite heed ol? thehellows fandI extendingthrohglmthe bollomf's and.eldablythrough the other.' h-ezd oricf-x, an erm ipivotallymounted on Aeztdf valve, andl resilchtlyrheld with reepee t thereolf'the` bellows on :which the. reedws located, steld `rod and .valve-hay]ngcooperatmg means Wllerehy-thenfod operatesfthe Valve, onehavlng :two:proj'ections :adapted to he directly f ve1],.gz1g--ecl .bly-,the other Sueceservely, one of' said two proj ectons being "pvotelly f'mounted with respect ytol the other.

vInitestmonywhereof, 'Iex my signature.

FRED EVANS. 

